Twelve Hawke’s Bay students will make up the majority of the two teams representing New Zealand at the First Robotic World Cup in Houston, Texas, this year.

The competition, held from April 19 to April 22, brings together students from around the world to showcase their technical skills and teamwork in robotics.

Ricardo Fox, the First team liaison for New Zealand, said there will be two New Zealand teams competing in two separate events.

“[There will be] a younger team made up of students from various primary and high schools competing in the First Lego Challenge and a team of high school students competing in the First Tech Challenge,” Fox said in a statement.

The First Lego Challenge team is composed of six students from Hawke’s Bay - Aidan Summersby, Pete August, Isla Atkins, Max Atkins, Nelson Bawden and Annabelle Rae.

The First Tech Challenge team is composed of three core members from Auckland, including the captain, with support from six members from Hawke’s Bay.

Those six members from Hawke’s Bay are Austin Jones, Tapas Kant, Ella White, Ruby Langford, MJ Richards and Jimmy August.

Havelock North Intermediate's New Zealand Blackbots representatives Nelson Bawden (Year 8), Max Atkins (Y8), Annabelle Rae (Y7) and Isla Atkins (Y8) will be heading to Houston next year.

Jimmy August (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Ella White (Te Āti Awa), Ruby Langford from Havelock North High School and Mary-Jane Richards (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu) from Karamu High School were competitors in the First Global Challenge in October 2022 at Geneva Switzerland, where they placed 79th out of 162 teams.

August and Richards have had success at previous national and international First Lego competitions.

Twins Max and Isla Atkins, Nelson Bawden and Annabelle Rae are all from Havelock North Intermediate and won the New Zealand First Lego League Championships as the Nauwhea Shoguns.

“All students recently participated and won their respective national events, and have had students added to give them the best possibility to win,” Fox said.

“The teams will now focus on improving the robots they designed, built and programmed.”

He said the New Zealand team will compete against other countries’ teams in a variety of challenges throughout the event.

“These challenges will test the students’ abilities in areas such as programming, engineering, and problem-solving. The students will also have the opportunity to learn from other teams and share ideas with their peers.”

Hawke’s Bay Today reported in an earlier story that the event is set to cost about $7000 per student to attend, and the First Lego Challenge team was seeking sponsorship.

To donate or sponsor, contact Angela Atkins at [email protected] or Brendon White at Lucknow School.